Churches ‘animated’ over gay rights, silent on community initiatives– Damion C. Grange
Mr Grange made the comments during the Monday, May 22, 2023, edition of Talking Points while interviewing new legislator and 4th District Representative, Hon Luce D. Hodge-Smith (R4) on the conversation of more community initiatives for seniors in the district.
Mrs Smith said there is a need for transportation for seniors when it was noted that churches have buses that sit all week and can be put to use as a church initiative once a week.
“Talk about the issue of gay rights and the churches are animated but anytime it comes to community initiatives, them gone back inside the church,” Grange added.
Same-sex marriage should not happen - Hon Hodge-Smith
When questioned on the topic of LGBT marriage rights in the VI, Hon Luce-Smith said due to her upbringing she is of the view that same-sex marriage should not happen.
“However, if there is a referendum and the majority of the voters… they decide that it's ok then I have no problem with it,” she added.
Mrs Luce-Smith; however, questioned whether it was just the marriage or the partnership to have a legal union that would be the subject of the referendum.
“If it’s necessary for a referendum for whatever, you call it… if it's needed, but I think in this case you definitely need to get the majority’s decision on it,” she added.
No imposing same-sex marriages in VI - Hon Hodge-Smith
Mrs Smith added that as in the case of other British OTs, there should be no imposition of same-sex laws in the VI but rather, as a democratic society, the people of the territory should have a say.
“If the majority say we are going to have same-sex marriage then we have no choice, but at least we went through the [process] and not that you impose it upon us because this is what you say should be done,” she added.
Meanwhile, Premier Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) said on May 2, 2023, a same-sex marriage referendum will most likely be held ahead of the pending legal case involving a same-sex married couple- both Virgin Islanders, who were married abroad and have mounted a case against Government to have their union legally recognised here in the VI.
“We want to do that, actually very soon…I think there’s a case which is slated for June, so we wanted to be able to have the referendum ahead of that. So that’s one thing of course that persons are going to be hearing about very soon,” he said.
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29 Responses to “Churches ‘animated’ over gay rights, silent on community initiatives– Damion C. Grange”
Romans 12:2 shows that we live out God’s will when we change our thoughts to God’s thoughts, rather than living like the world dictates. The world will always pressure us to live sinfully and selfishly, but to live the good life God wants from us requires changing how we behave—by changing our thoughts.
A life of righteousness does not look like a life of sin. Believers are admonished not to be shaped by the forces in the world, which has its own ideas of what is honorable and what is shameful – forces that are opposed to the righteousness of God.
Rather, believers are admonished to be transformed by the renewing of your mind, to live a life that is transformed from the ways of the world to the ways of God. This is possible when our minds have been changed to think after the ways of God.
Listening to you it sounds like you have an agenda my boy! We are a Christian based country and we want it to remain so. Shalom.
No surprise there really.
And if they get a few legal protections for their relationship from gay marriage, so what?
How does it affect your life?
Does it affect our lives more than our youth shooting each other and no one helping solve whodunit? Does it trouble you more than adults abusing children in every almost second home in the territory and if not why are you not calling fyyya down on those evil abusers that walk among us in fine church suits?
People love each other. People lust, too. All of us do. Get over it and be big enough to deal with the fact that gayness is even older than the oldest profession (prostitution), that all over the world people have views different to what you were raised with and that does not make them wicked people or make you a better person.
Find the real God and you will see humbleness, peace, tolerance and love, not this violent, hate-filled insecurity that comes from a lifetime of indoctrination, and in many cases from your own hidden desire.
You all sound like the Isis gangs that glorify cutting off the heads of anyone who does not see the world the way they do. You and them have been filled with the same kind of evil.
This a****an from JA all of a sudden have a voice on the news everyday. Boy hush . There are sooo many issues the Government not dealing with. Let The VI people Ears rest from yo bull s***, trying to be relevant, this girl from UMI got u aun**** a@@ have a voice in our we we I. Stop please. Timeout.
Moreover, in regards to same sex marriage, it is an abomination and an unnatural thing. Same sex cannot procreate. They want to engage in same sex but want to adopt chiren. Pure confusion and abuse. I wonder how the chiren get here? Surely not by same sex. The VI, not BVI, has a number of democratic deficits and imposing same sex marriage on the VI without the agreement from the people will be anti-democratic and another democratic deficit added to the list. Dr. Hon Premier Natalio Wheatley, let’s get this referendum moving . You have proclaimed this happening months ago so you should have had it fleshedout and ready to go. Or this was just another campaign promise? Let’s geh ah dun. Government must be effective and nimble. A good decision is better than waiting an eternity for a perfect decision. Let’s not conduct this thing by analysis into paralysis. If a committee is formed to analyzed then I know the whole thing was just talk.